Kingstone Press Championship previews Kingstone Press Championship previews Kingstone Press Championship previews 29th May 2014 Kingstone Press Championship Batley Bulldogs v Featherstone Rovers (2.00pm) Batley Bulldogs coach John Kear insists his side will have a “smile on our face” when they host Featherstone Rovers on Sunday. The Bulldogs ended a four-match losing streak by winning 33-18 at Swinton Lions last week. Now former England coach Kear believes his team can start to turn around their stuttering season, having won just five of their first 12 league fixtures in 2014. Kear said “The players got their reward for turning their attitude around and applying themselves with a great work ethic. “They’ve copped a bit in the last month, but we can now look forward to Featherstone. “We’ll have a good look at Featherstone and turn up with a smile on our face, ready to play some good rugby league.” Rovers pair Andy Kain and Etu Uaisele face fitness tests after leaving the field during Featherstone’s 50-14 win over Whitehaven.

Featherstone coach Andy Hay said: “There’s a tough group of players here and they’re sticking together well. “We want to push the ball around. We’re still learning and finding our feet as a team, but defensively I was really pleased (against Whitehaven).” Barrow Raiders v Rochdale Hornets (3.00pm) Barrow Raiders coach Bobbie Goulding is expected to make a shock return to action by facing former club Rochdale Hornets in Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship clash. The 42-year-old former Great Britain international looks set to dust off his boots in a bid to help Barrow try to climb off the foot of the Championship table. The Raiders have won just two of their 12 league fixtures this year, and Goulding believes he still has the fitness and ability to make a difference. Goulding said: “The team needs a change (and) I am in contention.” Danny Davies could be available for Rochdale after missing last week’s defeat against Doncaster due to work commitments. But Hornets coach Ian Talbot looks set to be without Tony Suffolk and Mike Ratu for Sunday’s trip to Cumbria.

Dewsbury Rams v North Wales Crusaders (3.00pm) Dewsbury Rams coach Glenn Morrison believes a solid next month will pay big dividends for his side as they approach the later stages of this season. The Rams face a daunting June, with fixtures against Featherstone, Sheffield, Doncaster and Leigh following Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship clash with North Wales Crusaders. Morrison said: “We’ve got a tough period coming up, but we’ve a couple of home games as well and if we can keep getting points during this period it will set us up nicely for the end of the year.” Greg Scott remains sidelined for the Rams, while North Wales travel without Andy Moulsdale. Seb Martins is also ruled out as he serves a one-match ban. Crusaders coach Clive Griffiths is aiming for another strong defensive display. He said: “In our last three away games we’ve gone to Workington, Halifax and Whitehaven and conceded only 16 points in total. The boys need a bit of credit for what they’re doing.” He added: “Our grit and determination was our big positive last week.

We showed we were prepared to dig deep, and we’re staying in games on the back of our defensive efforts. Hopefully we can continue that trend.” Keighley Cougars v Halifax (3.00pm) Keighley Cougars coach Paul March is aiming to continue an excellent run of form when his side host local rivals Halifax in Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship derby. Keighley’s 27-18 victory over Barrow Raiders extended their winning run to five matches. March said: “It’s the first time in five or six years that the club has managed to put a run together like that. “There are special things happening at Keighley. Winning’s a habit, and it will take something special to break that habit – hopefully it’s not on Sunday.” He added: “This is our local derby. These games have always been close over the last few years, and were expecting it to be close again. “We’re in the winning mentality and it will take someone special to disrupt us, but Karl (Harrison) will have them fired up. They’re probably underperforming by their standards, but we can’t worry about that.

“We need to keep working hard, and if we do that then we can get to where we want to be come the end of the year.” Cougars duo James Craven and Ash Lindsay both face late fitness tests, while former England winger Peter Fox could make his debut for Halifax. Halifax coach Karl Harrison said: “We need to keep working hard. It’s been a tough few weeks and we’re trying to spark things up, but we’re not too far off.” Swinton Lions v Doncaster (3.00pm) Swinton Lions coach Ian Watson wants his side to cut out the errors when they host Doncaster in Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship fixture. The Lions lost 33-18 against Batley Bulldogs last week, but Watson is keen not to make the same mistakes this week. He said: “We’ve a lot of guys who are still learning the game, and it showed at times (against Batley).” Swinton are without Liam Hulme, Anthony Bowman, Jack Cooper and Danny Halliwell, and their task is not made any easier by Doncaster coach Paul Cooke having a fully fit squad.

Doncaster were comfortable 40-10 winners over Rochdale Hornets last week, and Cooke rewarded that performance by giving his players Tuesday night off in a bid to keep them fresh. Cooke said: “We’re steadily building. Nothing’s won in April or May, and while we’re happy with where we’re at, we want to keep taking steps forward as the year goes on.” On Swinton, Cooke added: “They’re a dangerous outfit at home, and we’ll need the same attitude as last week. “If we don’t have the right attitude then we’ll get stung, because they’ve got some very good players. Guys like Ian Watson, Gareth O’Brien, Glenn Riley and the Hawkyard brothers – they know what they’re doing and we’ll have it all on come Sunday afternoon.” Whitehaven v Sheffield Eagles (3.00pm) Whitehaven coach Dave Woods has been dealt a triple injury blow ahead of Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship showdown with Sheffield Eagles. Cain Southernwood (thumb), Carl Forster (dislocated finger) and Paul Jackson (elbow) are all ruled out of the clash with Mark Aston’s Eagles, forcing Woods into a major reshuffle.

And Woods is demanding a major improvement on last week’s display, when Featherstone Rovers emerged 50-14 winners over the Cumbrians. Woods said: “We had a few opportunities but it (the score) was probably a fair reflection. We weren’t great. “We should get a response this week, but Sheffield are coming on the back of a 50 point loss as well, so we know it’s going to be tough. “They’re going to turn up wanting to make amends, and that’s the beauty of playing every week. We’re sure they’ll be looking to bounce back as soon as possible, but we’ve got to do everything we can to make sure it isn’t this week.” Sheffield coach Mark Aston could have trialist Theo Gonzalez-Trique available as he urges a collective approach amongst his squad following last week’s 54-12 defeat against Leigh.

Aston said: “You need to do things together and we’re not – people are doing what they want to do and that’s when things come crashing.” Workington Town v Leigh Centurions (3.00pm) Workington Town coach Phil Veivers will give fitness tests to Dan Rooney (hand), Kris Coward (elbow) and Graeme Mattinson (groin) ahead of Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship fixture with Leigh Centurions. Town are aiming to become the first team to beat Leigh this year, with the Centurions setting a club record of 15 successive victories with last week’s triumph over Sheffield Eagles. Veivers said: “We’ve another tough month, playing Leigh, Sheffield, Halifax and Featherstone. As long as we bring our A-game, we’ll be OK.” Adam Higson and Sam Hopkins are both available for Leigh, with coach Paul Rowley insisting his team will not relax after their record-breaking feat last week. Rowley said: “We know Workington’s dangers – we had a tough day there last year. “They’ve been going well and they’ve got a strong Wigan influence, and we’ve had a huge focus on this week – probably bigger than any of our previous weeks.

“We know we’re going to have to be absolutely on fire to get what we want out of this fixture. Workington are very difficult opponents.” 2014 Kingstone Press Championship Round-Up - Serious About Rugby League Serious About Rugby League By Dan Fowler It’s getting to that stage again. The winter months draw in, with that comes the Championship withdrawal symptoms. The entertainment, drama, and top tries are at an end for 2014, so it’s time to sit back, relax, and take a look at the season gone. This is the 2014 Championship round-up, we’ll start at the summit. Leigh Centurions (1st) – Wow. That’d be the perfect way to describe a record breaking season for Leigh Centurions. One loss throughout the regular season campaign resulting in the League Leaders Shield, nearly triumphing against the would-be winners of the Challenge Cup, and the cherry on top of a very successful cake, the Grand Final win over Featherstone. Some of the signings Leigh made pre-2014 really raised eyebrows, and with good reason.

Tom Armstrong and Sam Barlow, from Sheffield and Halifax respectively, were just two of the acquisitions that made the other clubs sit up and take notice. Both Armstrong and Barlow were ever-presents in the champion Centurions team, the latter even gaining interest from Leeds Rhinos before penning a humongous five year deal at Leigh. When the going got tough for the Centurions, the solidity within defence saw them through. Best example of this was the Grand Final. Featherstone scored first in the second half and were really giving it a go. But that little bit of brute force in defence and x-factor in attack really set them apart from the others in 2014. 2014 Star Player – Ryan Brierley: Many could have guessed the half-back would be the star player but Brierley is one hell of a talent, a talent that finally came to the fore in 2014. 43 tries in 2014, a massive achievement for the 22 year old scrum half that’s rejected offers from Super League clubs to stay with the Centurions.

2015 should be a very exciting one for Leigh, and Brierley, who get to face the recently relegated Bradford and London, with the chance to face Super League clubs when the league splits into the ‘Super 8’s’. Featherstone Rovers (2nd) – An interesting season for the Flatcappers from Featherstone. There was the Feisal Nahaboo debacle, with all his, supposed, cash. John Bastian didn’t really settle in well at ‘Fev’ and was axed on 5th May, after a second loss to Leigh in as many weeks. Nahaboo’s ship sailed a month later, and the laughter from other clubs then subsided. A ‘lucrative’ offer for Leon Pryce, as well as public interest in Eorl Crabtree and Danny Brough made Featherstone a laughing stock under Nahaboo. Andy Hay was at the reigns when Nahaboo left, a few dodgy results here and there but the general consensus was that Hay was the right man for the job. When stability came off the field through Mark Campbell, stability on the field also came as Hay’s men sealed a second place finish and reached the Grand Final.

A brilliant, workmanlike, semi-final victory over Sheffield set the Rovers up nicely for the trip to Headingley. A Grand Final victory wasn’t to be though, but Featherstone can be very happy with their seasonal efforts and will look forward to 2015 in anticipation. 2014 Star Player – Will Sharp: The winger has featured at full back at times in 2014, and has definitely not disappointed. A strong runner with the ball, Sharp is a very deadly try scorer who can make the most out of any situation. The two tries he scored in the Grand Final really proves the point, and he’s impressed fans and pundits alike this season, featuring in the Championship TOTW on quite a few occasions. Halifax RLFC (3rd) – A third place finish for the Shay side wasn’t enough to save Karl Harrison’s job. With second place in sight nearing the backend of the season, losses to Doncaster and Featherstone really sealed their fate as second place became a distant dream. A mid-season loss in the dying embers to Leigh speaks volumes; they had the class, but just couldn’t finish off the job.

Scott Murrell took charge of the last regular season game, as well as the two playoff games Fax encountered. A win against basement team Barrow rounded the regular season off, but disappointing losses to Featherstone and Dewsbury meant a sour end to the 2014 season for Fax. Richard Marshall is at the Halifax helm for 2015, with Marlon Billy as assistant. With new signings already being made, fans can be excited for the upcoming year, will Fax get into the middle 8? 2014 Star Player – Ben Johnston: Johnston has made the scrum-half position his own in 2014, the young prospect has really been a shining light at The Shay. With Murrell by his side, Johnston can only get better as he looks to get his game to the next level. Other coaches have been impressed, too. Mark Aston (Sheffield Eagles coach) picked Johnston for Ireland’s European Championship squad. The scrum-half played in two out of the three games for the Wolfhounds. Doncaster RLFC (4th) – A surprise package in the Championship this season.

Doncaster overtook their local rivals Sheffield in the league standings, a 4th place finish will have pleased Paul Cooke in his first season as player-coach. With many expecting Doncaster to just make the top 8 and secure mid-table security, the Dons really showed the league what they’re made of and were fighting for 2nd all the way up to the final day of the season. Cooke’s side were the team to stop the Leigh Centurions unbeaten streak, as Rowley’s men were looking unstoppable. A couple of gems were unearthed as the Dons season went on too. Mid-season signings Tom Hodson and Pasqualle Dunn impressed on every outing. 2014 Star Player –Dave Scott: Fast, pacey and great footwork, Scott has got what it takes to take that step up into Super League. The fullback/winger is always near to the score sheet and will always put in a good shift for you in defence and attack. His good work during the season has been acknowledged by Steve McCormack who selected Scott in the Scotland squad for the recent European Championships. Scott played in all three of the Bravehearts’ games, adding to the experience he gained at last year’s World Cup.

Sheffield Eagles (5th) – Sheffield were coming into the 2014 season looking to make history, by becoming the first team ever to win three consecutive Grand Final’s. The Eagles fell two hurdles short, losing in the semi-final to a ferocious Featherstone outfit. The regular season campaign was rather bland for a usually exciting side. The transition to Owlerton was terrible, only winning 5 out of 12 matches at the stadium. It’s not a surprise that Mark Aston’s men are moving to Doncaster for a season whilst their new stadium gets constructed. The big wide pitch at the Keepmoat suits Sheffield down to the ground. The away form was good, with only three losses during the season. With new signings including the likes of Jamie Langley and Tony Tonks, the Eagles won’t be short of firepower come 2015. 2014 Star Player – Scott Turner: The former Dewsbury man showed just why he’s a fans favourite at the Sheffield club this season. Solid in defence and strong in attack, Turner has been a great acquisition since his switch to the Eagles before the start of the 2012 season.

A fourth season with the Eagles is in store, and with a very respectable try scoring record to his name, he’ll be looking to add to that and hopefully send the Eagles into the middle 8. Dewsbury Rams (6th) – Just a bit inconsistent but definitely had the talent to upset one or two. An opening day victory against Featherstone laid down a marker that the Rams wouldn’t just lay down and die. With spirited performances against most of the top 4, including a sublime 25-0 away victory against Halifax in the play-offs, Glenn Morrison can be proud of his players after this season. With new signings which include Barrow’s top try scorer Dalton Grant and Halifax’s influential full-back Ryan Fieldhouse, expect the Rams to have a decent season. 2014 Star Player – Anthony Thackeray: Somewhat enigmatic. Thackeray has that little bit of magic needed to win a game, and definitely a player who can dictate play. The half-back has been in top form throughout 2014, an ever-present in the Rams team with 28 tries to his name.

He came back to haunt his former team Halifax in the play-offs, Thackeray played a big part in many of Dewsbury’s tries during the 25-0 win. Glenn Morrison will certainly be happy that Thackeray’s services are at the Tetley’s Stadium for 2015. Workington Town (7th) – Rejuvenated and inspired in the second half of the campaign. Phil Veivers took over at Derwent Park when Town were staring down the relegation barrel in mid-season, with low confidence and no reason to feel good. What occurred when the former Salford boss took the reins was truly magnificent. A seven match winning run resulted in Championship consolidation for the highest placed Cumbrian team of 2014. The win that started the seven match winning streak was the great 20-18 win over Featherstone at Derwent Park. Brett Phillips won man of the match for Workington in that victory, definitely a standout player for Town. With the core base of the Town tribe signed up for 2015, talented signings have been promised by coach Veivers so it’s a good time to be at the Town.

2014 Star Player – Brett Phillips: One of the hottest properties in Championship rugby. Phillips, a Scotland international, is never too far away from team of the week selection, even when Town are on the end of a defeat. A very consistent player in defence and attack, he’s held in high regard by the Workington faithful and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be. At 26 years old, Phillips still has time to become a Super League player and it wouldn’t surprise the people up Workington way if he does achieve that. Batley Bulldogs (8th) – A pleasant end to what could have been a very unpleasant season for the Mount Pleasant outfit. John Kear’s side, similar to Whitehaven, kept their Championship status on the last day of the season. The Bulldogs recorded a barnstorming 34-10 win at Doncaster whilst Keighley were downed by Featherstone. The result was well received by the Batley following as they blasted out the Great Escape theme tune in delight. It had been a very stressful few weeks prior to the Doncaster match, with the Jacob Fairbank ineligibility case leaving a black cloud over the West Yorkshire club.

The RFL initially deducted Batley (Fairbank) and Doncaster (Ben Crooks) three points but both clubs appealed the decision and, controversially, were given the three points back. The points reinstatement came with two games left to play, both games Batley won and in convincing fashion. The two wins got the Bulldogs into the last playoff place but bowed out 16-0 to Sheffield, but the job everyone cared about was done and dusted. 2015 is looking like a transitional season for the Bulldogs; stability has been hard to come by as Super League have been known to come and cherry-pick their top players. Signings such as Shaun Ainscough and Cain Southerwood from Whitehaven will excite the Batley fans whilst Irish international Sean Hesketh has made a return to the Pleasant after a few years away. 2014 Star Player – Anthony Nicholson: A diamond in the Batley rough. Miles Greenwood was up there in the Batley ranks but dummy half Nicholson provided a spark which got his team down the field. A diminutive figure, former Leigh hooker Nicholson is a favourite at Mount Pleasant and has been a good acquisition since his arrival.

Signed before the start of the 2014 season on a two year deal, Nicholson would have probably stayed put in West Yorkshire if Batley had gone down but all the more reason to be cheerful as his Bulldogs stopped up. Whitehaven RLFC (9th) – Another relegation survivor. Whitehaven secured their place in the 2015 Championship with a 44-18 win at Swinton Lions. Dave Woods left the club soon after the win, the Whitehaven club informed him that his services were no longer needed. Steve Deakin has taken over at the Recre for the 2015 season. Haven did show glimpses of class here and there with the speed of Shaun Ainscough and Jesse Joe Parker, in conjunction with the brute power of Samir Tahraoui and Carl Forster but consistency just didn’t come about. Top wins against Sheffield at home and Batley both home and away couldn’t be worked on; a 34-0 home loss to North Wales Crusaders really typified their stop-start nature. Signings for 2015 include Thomas and James Coyle; the latter will be Deakin’s assistant.

A very highly rated signing is that of Egremont Rangers half-back John-Paul Brocklebank. Brocklebank has represented England and GB at amateur level. 2014 Star Player – Samir Tahraoui: A real handful and a menace to deal with. He impressed the Whitehaven fans over the course of the season with his riotous runs. With time on his side, Tahraoui has the size and strength to become a big success in the sport, a move to Bradford in 2015 improves his chances no-end. James Lowes offered the prop forward a full-time deal at the Provident Stadium at the end of the 2014 season, a no-brainer for Tahraoui who’ll be looking to take his game to another level next year. Keighley Cougars (10th) – The team that had to bear the brunt of the RFL’s decision to reinstate Batley’s points back. A heart-breaking defeat in the dying embers of the final league game against Featherstone consigned the Cougars to Championship 1 rugby next season.

Paul March’s side definitely had the talent to stay in the division but three consecutive losses to end the season really sealed their fate despite the off the field debacle with the RFL. Keighley just couldn’t quite get over the line against teams above them when the game was finely poised. The Keighley club will come back better and stronger after their ill-fated relegation, with David March signing back at Cougar Park to reunite with his brother Paul. The Cougars will have some much needed experience in the third tier next season. 2014 Star Player – James Feather: Feather has recently departed Keighley after a decade on the books in West Yorkshire, but the hooker had a good season to end his tenure as club captain. ‘Buster’ as he is nicknamed, has been a brilliant servant for the Keighley club, always giving 100% for 80 minutes and always striving to be the best. He goes unnoticed time after time, but the work he does from dummy half is integral to the team and he’s appreciated on the field and in the stands. North Wales Crusaders (11th) – The team from Wrexham couldn’t quite work on their success in 2013.

Promoted from Championship 1, the Crusaders, with their eccentric fans, were always climbing a mountain to get to safety with 5 teams facing the drop. Clive Griffiths stepped down from his coaching role halfway through the campaign, former Barrow Raiders boss Anthony Murray took over and results didn’t improve. A big miss for the second half of the season was USA international prop forward Mark Offerdahl, who accepted a trial in Australia. With most of the team signed up for next season, the Crusaders will be wanting to make a swift return back to the Championship. 2014 Star Player – Jono Smith: The loose forward has impressed the Racecourse Ground goers for a good number of seasons now, a very good player to have on your team. Smith is very hard to stop once he gets going and his offload game is pretty tidy, too. A big hit in the Championship, next season in League 1 should just showcase what a talent Jono Smith really is. Rochdale Hornets (12th) – Ian Talbot’s men, similar to the Crusaders, couldn’t kick on after promotion in 2013.

With a major statement of intent coming in the signing of Fiji international Ryan Millard, many were expecting Hornets to hold their own in 2014. A home victory against Featherstone is probably the only real shock worth writing home about, the use of dual registration from St Helens didn’t really help Rochdale’s cause in the way of results. Shannon McDonnell and Adam Swift turned out for the Spotland outfit time after time, but a 12th place finish will have disappointed coach Talbot. With most of the 2014 squad signed up for next season, exception of Ryan Millard who’s departed to Featherstone, the Hornets will be looking to kick on in League 1. Star Player – Ryan Millard: the half-back was a star signing and was tipped to take the Championship by storm after a very good World Cup campaign with the Fijians. Things didn’t quite go to plan but his star quality was there for all to be seen during the season. Sometimes on a different wave level to his teammates, Featherstone should be a very good place for Millard to kick on and impress.

The Hornets enjoyed some dazzling work from Millard on occasions but, likewise to the actual team, he couldn’t produce it as consistently as he would have liked. Swinton Lions (13th) - The Lions were one of the favourites to make the drop to League One and they didn’t show much to prove the bookies wrong. Josh Barlow and Zach Johnson were two of the impressive figures in a usually tame Swinton side, whilst speedster Kevin Penny scored spectacular tries time after time. A home victory against Dewsbury was a highlight for John Duffy’s side, also running Sheffield and Doncaster close away from home. The Swinton outfit, currently based at the Leigh Sports Village, will be wanting to get back on track sooner rather than later. The departure of assistant coach Marlon Billy to Halifax has made that road a bit more winding. However, coach Duffy has announced a big bulk of the 2015 squad which includes new signings Stuart Littler and Iain Morrison, as well as the lesser experienced Matt Pendlebury who captained the successful Leigh u20’s side to Grand Final glory in 2014.

2014 Star Player – Zach Johnson: Johnson will be playing his trade at Dewsbury next season. A rather impressive 2014 season at the Leigh Sports Village obviously caught the eye of Glenn Morrison. A player who can pack a punch, Johnson will be hoping to get into a Dewsbury team where competition for places will be high. Barrow Raiders (14th) – The basement team of the 2014 Kingstone Press Championship, it’s certainly been a year to forget for the Craven Park outfit. Things started well for the Raiders, recording their first win of the season away at Sheffield, where Dan Toal put in a star-studded performance. Unfortunately for Barrow, only three more wins followed. A colossal 22 losses doesn’t put the Cumbrians in a good light but the Raiders army kept turning out in force, highlighting just how popular rugby league is in Cumbria. Club legend Paul Crarey will be taking over at Barrow for 2015, replacing Bobbie Goulding who stepped in when Anthony Murray departed the club in early 2014.

A club statement announcing Crarey’s arrival said: “We’re sure he has always been the right man for the job.” This will excite the Raiders following who will be hoping for some good performances in contrast to 2014. 2014 Star Player – Dalton Grant: Similar to Swinton’s star player, Grant will also be part of Glenn Morrison’s Dewsbury Rams in 2015. The top try scorer for the Raiders in 2014, the twenty three year-old has great pace and can play in the centres as well as on the wing where he’s played for all of the season. Some work on the defensive aspect on his game may be needed but with his experience and maturity comes the attributes to become a top player, Grant certainly has what it takes to get to a good level. Kingstone Press Championship previews Kingstone Press Championship previews Kingstone Press Championship previews 15th May 2014 Kingstone Press Championship Batley Bulldogs v Sheffield Eagles (2.00pm) Batley Bulldogs coach John Kear insists the “pressure is off” ahead of Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship match against Sheffield Eagles.

The Bulldogs have lost their last three league fixtures, suffering defeats against Dewsbury, Whitehaven and Barrow. They are now in the bottom five, but Kear said: “Playing Sheffield, Featherstone, Halifax or Leigh would have been ideal this week because people’s expectations wouldn’t be that we’d come away successful, and what that means is that the pressure is off – and that’s what the players need. “This week we can just look at the process of rugby league and concentrate on our own performance.” He added: “The thing that pleased me most last week was the attitude. We were more spirited, more dogged and more committed, but we still came up short with our execution. “There are just too many loose errors in our game, and it’s concerning because it’s the same errors that we’re making over and over again.” Mark Applegarth (calf) remains a major doubt for the Bulldogs, but Josh Griffin returns and Keegan Hirst could feature after rejoining Batley on a month-long loan deal from Featherstone Rovers. Sheffield coach Mark Aston is boosted by the possible availability of prop Eddie Battye, while Cory Aston could also be included.

North Wales Crusaders v Keighley Cougars (2.30) North Wales Crusaders coach Clive Griffiths has challenged his players to make drastic improvements to their home form – starting with Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship clash against Keighley Cougars. Crusaders have won just one of their first five home games in 2014. Griffiths said: “When teams to come the Racecourse Stadium they come to a fantastic playing surface, and it lifts them as well. It’s time we put things right at home.” Andy Moulsdale faces a late fitness test before Griffiths confirms his team to face the Cougars. Griffiths said: “We’re still a bit Jekyll and Hyde at the moment; when we get it right we’re very good, but we can also be very bad. “Last week against Halifax we were absolutely outstanding, and if you can get back-to-back wins, and results go your way, you can climb a few places very quickly.

“I was delighted with our performance last week and the guys deserved the points; now we’ve got to build on it this week.” Ash Lindsay is believed to be close to a return for Keighley, although Sunday’s game may come a week too soon for the loose-forward. Lindsay has missed the last six weeks with a broken leg. Barrow Raiders v Dewsbury Rams (3.00pm) Barrow Raiders coach Bobbie Goulding hopes to build on last week’s victory over Batley Bulldogs by exploiting a run of fixtures that sees the Raiders at home for three of their next four Kingstone Press Championship matches. Raiders remain rooted to the bottom of the table, but the win against Batley has reignited their hopes of avoiding relegation. Goulding said: “We cannot worry about what other teams are doing, we have just to get on with what we do ourselves.” Dewsbury coach Glenn Morrison, whose side have five wins and five losses from their 10 league fixtures this year, insists the Rams need a stronger mental approach. Morrison said: “Teams have always got something to play for, and you’ve got to be ready to play like it’s a Grand Final every week.

“We’ve got to turn up as though it’s a big game every week; it’s a mental thing, we’ve spoken about it as a group and it’s something we’re working on. “The top teams are consistent and ruthless, and we need to do that every week rather than every other week.” On Barrow, Morrison added: “They’ll be confident after beating Batley, and Bobbie Goulding will definitely have them pumped up.” Morrison is forced into a back-row reshuffle after Rob Spicer suffered a rib injury against Leigh Centurions last week. Featherstone Rovers v Workington Town (3.00pm) Caretaker coach Danny Evans takes charge of his second Featherstone Rovers fixture in Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship clash with Workington Town. Rovers have been boosted by the news that Tim Spears avoided a suspension when he appeared at an RFL disciplinary hearing on Tuesday night. Spears was fined £50 for a careless high tackle in a recent game against Leigh Centurions, but was deemed not to deserve a ban. Workington winger Elliott Miller is still sidelined with a back injury as Town coach Phil Veivers tries to plot a victory that would keep his side out of the relegation places.

Veivers said: “It’s a tough game going to up to Featherstone – it’s a hard place to go. “They had a good result (against Sheffield), they’ve got a pretty decent squad and they’ve got plenty of depth.” Callum Phillips is expected to be fit despite coming off against Rochdale with a neck problem. Leigh Centurions v Doncaster (3.00pm) Leigh Centurions will be without suspended Sean Penkywicz as they aim to make it 11 wins out of their first 11 Kingstone Press Championship fixtures in 2014. The Centurions have already recorded a perfect ten, but coach Paul Rowley is wary of the threat posed by third-placed Doncaster. Rowley said: “They’ve certainly taken some big scalps, including Featherstone and Sheffield, so it’s as big a game as we can get. “They’ve got some quality across the pitch and, while we don’t quite know what to expect from them, there’ll be a lot of concentration on ourselves.” Doncaster coach Paul Cooke insists new signing Steve Snitch will not feature on Sunday.

Cooke has no fresh injury concerns from last week’s defeat against Whitehaven and is likely to give Snitch, who has not played since September, a few weeks to build his fitness. Cooke said: “Leigh have proven that they’re the benchmark for the competition. They’re well coach, they’ve good quality players, they can hurt you from anywhere, they’ve genuine pace and they’re tough to score against. “We’ll have it all on, without a shadow of a doubt, and we’ll certainly have to improve on our last two performances.” He added: “We don’t want to fall into the trap of being beaten before we get there. We’ve really got to concentrate on our attitude and desire, which I’m sure we will because we tend to perform when we’re given no chance.” Rochdale Hornets v Halifax (3.00pm) Alex Trumper could return to action for Rochdale Hornets in Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship clash with Halifax, but Gareth Langley is expected to miss out with an ongoing ankle injury. Hornets could climb out of the bottom five with victory over Halifax, but coach Ian Talbot insists his side need to make major improvements from last week’s defeat against Workington Town.

Talbot said: “Some of the boys underestimated Workington and we got caught. “This week it’s about sticking to the plan we lay out and working as a collective rather than individuals. “Halifax have had a draw and a loss in their last two games, so I’m sure (coach) Karl Harrison will be winding them up to try to get a response.” Halifax now face a run of four consecutive away games after last week’s home defeat against North Wales Crusaders. Harrison said: “We were way off the mark. We couldn’t capitalise on the field position we got. “People expect this club to be up there challenging, and that’s where want to be. We’ve just got to work harder than everybody else, and that’s what we intend to do. “We need to create some confidence. We need to put our house in order.” Whitehaven v Swinton Lions (3.00pm) Whitehaven coach Dave Woods will give late fitness tests to Paul Jackson and Samir Tarahoui ahead of Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship match with Swinton Lions. Woods has warned his side not to underestimate the Lions, despite their record of only two wins from their first 10 league fixtures this term.

Woods said: “We were at the wrong end of the table and knocked off Doncaster, so we know we need to turn up. They’ve some good players – the Hawkyard brothers are very good – and we need to be ready.” He added: “For us, what we’re searching for is a bit of consistency. We’ve got a capable squad and we just need to kick on from our last two wins.” Swinton coach Ian Watson will make at least one change to the team that lost to Keighley last week after Anthony Bowman was ruled out with a wrist injury. Watson said: “We were better against Keighley, but individual errors and penalties are still costing us. “Whitehaven seem to be flying at the moment. They recruited a really good squad and it’s another big challenge for us, but it’s something to look forward to. “Brett Seymour is obviously going to be a threat, but they’ve also got a big pack too.”

Question: Which Rugby League team won the Kingstone Press Championship in 2014?
Answer: Leigh Centurions